Chapter 2

Rayan came out of the bathroom, his hair dripping wet as he casually towel-dried it.

I desperately tried to hide how messed up I looked, forcing a shaky smile as I spoke in a soft, almost desperate voice, "You haven't eaten yet, right? I can heat the steak. Let's eat together."

Rayan stopped drying his hair for a second, not bothering to look at me. His voice was indifferent. "No need. I already ate out."

He ate out?

Did he eat at Chloe's place?

I wanted to ask, but in the end, I couldn't say them.

I was too scared. I couldn't bear to hear the answer I dreaded most from him, afraid that the last bit of self-deception I held onto would be crushed completely.

Just then, a harsh ringtone shattered the silence.

Chloe's name flashed on his screen, stabbing at my eyes like a knife.

Rayan picked up almost instantly, his voice turning gentle in a heartbeat, like he was a completely different person from the cold guy who'd brushed me off one second ago.

On the other end, Chloe's voice was sweet and trembling, so delicate that she was breaking down. "Rayan, the circuit breaker at my place tripped, and now it's totally dark. I'm freaking out.

"I can still use my neighbor's Wi-Fi. I think it's not a regional power outage. And I keep hearing footsteps outside, like someone's lurking out there. I'm really scared, Rayan. Can you come over, please?"

Rayan hurriedly threw on his jacket, his voice gentle as he tried to comfort her. "Don't be scared. Lock your door. I'll be there in a minute."

I couldn't take it anymore. I stepped forward and blocked him, refusing to let him leave. "Rayan! Doesn't she have friends or family in this city? If she's really scared, why doesn't she call the police? Why is it always you she turns to?"

Rayan pushed me aside so hard that I lost my balance and crashed onto the floor, my elbow smashing into the hard ceramic tiles. The dull pain exploded and shot through my whole body.

But the physical pain was nothing. It couldn't touch the heartbreak in my chest.

Tears from the shock and pain flooded my face as I lay there, looking at the man who used to be so familiar, but now felt like a stranger.

"Ruby, how can you be so selfish?" Rayan stood over me, looking down with nothing but disappointment and disgust in his eyes. "If something really happened to Chloe, could you live with yourself? I was so wrong about you."

With that, he didn't spare me another glance as I lay there on the floor. He practically bolted for the door, moving as if being a second late would spell disaster for Chloe.

I screamed at his back with everything I had, my voice raw with desperation, "Rayan, if you walk out that door tonight, we're done!"

He hesitated for a brief moment.

Just a moment.

Then, without a second thought, he pushed the door open and walked out, leaving behind a chilling response that lingered in the air. "Suit yourself."

The door slammed shut, cutting off all his gentleness and my last bit of hope.

I collapsed on the floor, like all the strength had been sucked out of me. My tears gushed out like a dam bursting.

My stomach cramped painfully from not eating for so long. I clutched my belly, pulled myself up from the floor, and staggered over to the dining table.

The top-grade M9 steak was stone cold, but I made myself eat it, bite after bite, though every mouthful felt like a struggle.

It really was the most expensive steak. Even if it had gone cold, it still tasted pretty good, like my love for him these past three years. Though it had gone cold, it was once the thing I cherished with everything I had.

After finishing the last bite of steak, I picked up my glass of red wine and drained it slowly.

Then, I swept the cold leftovers from the table, grabbed the wilted red roses, and threw them all into the trash hard.

Looking at all the wreckage in the trash can, I told myself it was really over. It was time to let go.

I walked into the bathroom and stared at my reflection. My makeup was ruined, and my face streaked with tears. I forced a smile that was uglier than crying.

I reached out and gently touched my tear-stained face in the mirror, whispering to myself, "Look at you, Ruby Saunders. Pathetic, aren't you? This ends tonight. It will never happen again."

After freshening up, I lay down on the bed, closed my eyes, and drifted off almost instantly.

It felt like all the heartbreak and despair from tonight had never happened.